Be In The Know Blog

If your customers are like most people, they have their smartphones on them throughout the purchase process. With a good mobile search strategy, you can focus on them when it matters most — when they're nearby. A killer mobile strategy will turn smartphones into your best influencers and lead customers right to your door. First, you want to be sure your website has a responsive design to optimize it for mobile. Then, you can get on to the good stuff: building your mobile-centric search strategy.

Give the People What They Want

Searches that happen on cell phones, so-called "mobile-centric" searches, are a powerful way to gain customer insight. By looking at the mobile-centric searches for your category or brand, not only will you learn what people are searching for when they find you, you'll know where they are when they're looking — at home, on the street or right in your store. Taken altogether, this data can give you critical information about what your customers want. Whether it's an address, a phone number, or a special deal, be sure your ads are tailored to provide that information.

Be Mobile-Centric

Keeping an eye on mobile search queries will also enable you to monitor your customers' changing needs. For instance, when temperatures rise, a retail store might emphasize "beach towels" or "swimsuits" in its keywords to take advantage of the increase in searches for related content. According to a recent study by Google, it's possible to increase unaided brand awareness 46 percent simply by showing up in mobile search results — but that's not all.

Mind Your Funnel

Search data will also tell you where a customer is in the purchase process by determining if it's an "I want to know more" search, or an "I want to buy now" search. A search for the "best chocolate" vs. "where can I buy chocolate?" may convey a different stage of intent, depending on where the shopper is located.

Another Google study determined that mobile accounts for 88 percent of all "near me" searches, and that those searches are growing by 146 percent year over year. If you have a physical location, "near me" searches are crucial. They don't generally come from casual onlookers. These are shoppers who are actively looking to spend money on the products and services they're seeking out; tapping into these consumers can offer a high return on investment.

With tools like Google Analytics, or the help of a trusted media partner, you can make the most of mobile search strategy for your business.